More than 90 Palestinian women are currently held in Israeli prisons and detention centers, according to data from regional advocacy groups. The Prisoners' Club, Addameer, and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs released a joint statement regarding these conditions on 26 October. This announcement coincided with the National Day of the Palestinian Woman. Representatives from the Prisoners' Club, Addameer, and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs stated the report serves to document the status of female detainees within the system. The groups cited the current detention figures to mark the annual observance. A joint statement was issued by the Prisoners' Club, Addameer, and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs on the occasion of the National Day of the Palestinian Woman to highlight these ongoing concerns.
Escalating Conditions Since War
Prisoners' Club, Addameer, and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs report that the conditions of detention for Palestinian women have undergone radical changes since the start of the war on Gaza in 2023. These organizations state that the environment inside detention facilities shifted significantly following the onset of military operations, leading to intensified restrictions and punitive measures against female captives. The organizations state that the conditions of detention for Palestinian women have undergone radical changes since the start of the war on Gaza in 2023, noting that the shift in policy has altered the daily reality for those held in custody.
Documented abuses against female prisoners detailed by the three organizations include physical and psychological torture, starvation, and the denial of medical treatment. The report further alleges that detainees are subjected to strip searches and instances of sexual harassment during their time in custody. Reported abuses against female prisoners include physical and psychological torture, starvation, denial of medical treatment, strip searches, and sexual harassment. According to the data provided by the groups, these practices represent a systematic approach to the treatment of women within the prison system since 2023. These specific allegations form the core of the findings presented by the Prisoners' Club, Addameer, and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs regarding the treatment of female captives.
Administrative detention remains a frequent tool used against the female population. Currently, 22 of the detained Palestinian women are held under administrative detention without charge or trial. This legal mechanism allows for indefinite confinement based on classified evidence, preventing the detainees from knowing the allegations against them or challenging their imprisonment in a court of law. The total figure of those held without charge reflects the broader scope of detention practices currently cited by the Prisoners' Club, Addameer, and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. The use of this mechanism continues to be a primary point of contention for the three organizations as they monitor the ongoing status of the detainees.
